Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1887-07-05
Ioopyrlrh,. issi. by A,sood a forbes.l
THE GOOD OLD TIMES OF A
CENTURY AGO.
BY JuDGE &. +. WuIrnAS.
Chapter XT.
4 HONE IN IIIE WILDERNESS
b, JuDor c. T. wurru,s.
Chapter Xr.
A HONE IN rllE WILDERNESS.

lace and the stfeAks OF SILVER IN net hslr
she nigh, have been taken Tor sixty
For year. she had seen such trouble ,hs
scarcely ray Of happInes,had illamin,,'
ed her sorrows, stricken life. Bat !, va
no, Away. thus. She had been 4 care
les, and happy child 10 her hons in IA
off Massachusetts. Her fa,hsr. Peter
Bro~n. was repa,id to b, a man ofprop'
eiiy and means. and no though, Of care
Of toll o, suffering had ever catered hsl
young mind. She had . half.si,;ef,
thirty years her senior, who minaged
thing, ., hons after the manner Of Miss
Mari.,ons. In David copp-rdsl- H'r
mother died when she was seven years
old. and she grew TO dislike her sister
who cared nothing for the pretty. bat
wayw.rd Harriet. The elder took grea,
in,ers., IN supernatural ,hiag'. In signs
And wondsr,. Ia telling fofiuns' aud fore.
casting events. ba, Harriet. tastes were
en,irely diGsreni. Her father died. and
she va. pat ou, To live With a distant
relative daring the res, Of her minority.
When. therefore. Thom. Thayer. a
lAbor,r 10 the shiP.yArd' around B,s,on,
came couriing her. she Tan away with
him and ws, elandss'insly married. The
brief hoaey noon was soon over aud her
troubles began. first with q husband ad.
dic,ed 10 strong drink, and who Was often
,.ken home in state Of iniokiea,ion;
and nex, with the 10" OF her frs, born
babe She had received = few polad,
from the executor Of her father. estate.
=. hef portion. by which, through hi, In
tacnec and persuasion. her husband With
hi. family had been induced TO move 20
FAlmoa,h. Ne. where they had lived =
few years. the husband working At his
trade aud pursuing bis downward coare,
and where were bora their three other
ehildren. She had prevailed upon her
husband. a. las, resort fof saving him,
to move back into the wilderness. and
two year, before they had squa,,ed uPoa
land granted - sheppard. Here he was
freo from temptation A. last. Being
handy With tools. he biili a comfortable
log house for those times. with two room.
on the fr., h)or. and the same namber
overhead. which were reached by vide
stairway =, ons end Of the living room.
There wAs cellar under the house which
va. approached by a similar stairway.
Over these way. were trap doors. The
outer door Of the house was made s,fong
and heavy. and was hung oa wooden
hinge. A, nigh, !, was always barn.
cAded
A few acre. Of land hal been cleared
and the wife began to look forward 10 a
time Of plenty and hsppines, in ,ha, for
e., home. when her husband met with
an accident that once again blish,ed all
her hope, |, WAS the .pring Of the year,
and the time for planting. While fell
ing . tree. branch had struck him in
the back. and from this injury. being un.
able TO walk. he vi. dragged 10 the
house by the wife aud sou, aud never
left /, alive Aherwsrd.
The boy was fourteen. aud thu, became
the rod aud stall Of the family. Tommy
wa, old for boy Of hi, year. Reared
in sorrow aud poverty. aud taught by his
mother 20 .hun as the evil one himself.
the practice that had ruined his father.
be learned TO ,ru., in her counsel. aud
obey her in everything Self.reliAn, and
cheerful. !, WAS q comfort TO the mothers
hear, TO look into hi. pleasant eoanten.
Anee aud manly face. though che loved
no, less her little Grace Of six years aud
Tot, but half her sister. age. There
was another inmate Of thi, fores, home
which should no, 20 unno,ieed. Bose
wa. large black dog ,hl, bad come to
them a. an e.,rsy while living ~ F.l.
mouth. lie followed Tommy everywhere,
.lsp, with him upon hi. couch, aud was
treated by all a, one Of the family. His
load bark often rang through the forest
AID frightened away the lesser wild AMI
mails. ,ha, otherwise nigh, have taken
up their abode in the vicinity Of the clear.
ing. Tommy could use the rifle we'll.
but hi. mother would never le, him 20
far from the vicinity Of the house, excep.
in rare instances when it became neces.
s.ry to apply for aid or procure provi'-
ions. During the sickness OF the ha'.
band and father. i, vi. literally the
starving period Of the family. A. oae
time they were reduced to such ex,rsml'
ties ,hl, there was nothing ia the house
to eat. Ba, plump rabbi, was caush,
In a trap which Tommy had set, aud
Mrs. ThAyer picked up from the crack.
in the chamber floor. kernels OF corn and
beans. which had scattered of OF the
ears aud out Of their pods in handling.
In thi. way abou, q quart Was obtained.
and with the carcass ofthe rabbit, which
had been dressed. soup was made.
The mother would no, ca, till the hunger
Of all Was appea'ed. when she sat down
to one Of the mos, p.la,sble dishes she
had ever tasted.
Tommy and his mother had planted
small par, Of their clearing to cora aad
beans. There was also a little plo, OF
pea. and few pumpkin seeds had been
scattered among the corn hills.
Heaven seemed to smile upon this liz
tie garden in the forest, and the plants
came up we'll aud grew vigorously.
The father died The nearest neigh
bors were summoned and such q fdneral
was held as nigh, be expected to take
place in the wilderness, away from civili'
za,iOn. A prayer was made and the
remains were taken 10 . grave on q little
knoll in the farther corner OF the clesripg
aud there deposited.
We pass over two months OF time. the
assistance rendered the needy family by
Others who were themselves poor. as were
nearly ell the frs, settlers. and theil
struggles for existence.
The harvest came. which for the iim'
and care bestowed. and the amount
planted, was abundant. The goldenear
had ripened and oil the crops were gath
cred in. But what Was this little hsrves
among so many wi,ha long and perhapl
severe winter coming on Tommy hat
worked out q little and had procuret
seyeral bushels Of corn and some salt